Method of constrtjctiitg monolithic vessels



J. MACDONALD AND R. P. DURHAM.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MONOLITHIC VESSELS.-

APPLICATION HLED APR-12, m9.

1,324,744. Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEE'I I- INVENTOR Wail less e s;

ATTORN EY J. MACDONALD AND R. P. DURHAM.

METHOD OF CONSIRUCTING MONOLITHIC VESSELS.

APPLICATXON HLED APR-12,1919.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

U M R 8 LlHlHllllllH XV INVENTO V v M/ @W 969 ATTORNEY Instant) STATES PATn 'r orrcn.

JAMES MACDONALD A D ROBERT 1?. DURHAM, or CHICAGG, rL'LInoIsQ METHOD CONSTRUCTIN'G MONOIJITI-IIC VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 9,1919.

Application filed April 12, 1919. Serial No. 289,555. p

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that we, JAMES MACDONALD and ROBERT P. DURHAM, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Constructing Monolithic Vessels, of which the following. is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding numerals of referencein the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, cheap and effective method or process for constructing from reinforced concrete or other plastic material, 'monolithic hulls for barges or other vessels.

Iii-practising the improved method, we prefer always to build the structure in an upright or substantially vertical posltlon either as an entirety or in sections; but preferably the latter; the choice depending upon the relative size of the mass to be handled;

and, when the structure so erected is com pleted, either as a complete hull or as a section thereof and the plastic material thereinallowed to harden, to move or shift it upon trunnions or otherwise, to a horizontal posi tion, when, if complete, it may be launched, or, if a section only, it may be assembled with other sections and made ready for launching.

In applying the sectional method, which we would recommend for all but small vessels, the reinforcing members with the longitudinal ones upright, would be positioned upon a support mounted for movement upon a horizontal way, when the reinforcing members would be embedded in concrete and moldedin movable forms. After allowing the material to harden, the section-with end portions of the longitudinal reinforcing members projecting therefrom, should be tilted horizontally, alined witha previously formed section, the meeting reinforcing members of the two rigidly united and the intervening space filled with plastic material and allowed to harden; the operation being repeated until the structure is finished; all of which is hereinafter more particularly set forth and definitely cl aime In the drawings 7, 1 Figure 1, 1s a diagrammatic view in plan,

showing a track adjacent to launching ways,

and indicatinga barge as it would appear in: course of construction, the full lines 1ndicating that portion of the completed struc- 1 Flg. 3, is a section taken upon the line,

3-3, Fig. 1, to indicate the manner of launching the vessels,

Fig. i, is a section taken upon the line 4-4:, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows there shown,

' Fig. 5, is'a section taken upon the line 5-5, Fig. 1,

Fig. 6, is a side elevation of two sections as they would appear when brought into juxtaposition and aline'ment with the longitudinal reinforcingmembers ready to be welded or otherwise connected, and

Fig. 7, is a perspective view of a structure showing suitable forms and their relation to the reinforcing and form-lifting members.

Referring to the drawings, 1, Figs. 2, 5

and 7, but best shown in the latter figure,

indicates a base or floor-like support, adapted tobe mounted upon a rigid timbered urform indicated generally by 2, Fig. 2,.and supported by means of rollers orwheels 3, upon a suitable track or way 1. A vertically movable form consisting of outer and inner counterpart portions or walls 5 and 6, Fig.

scribed in the application of Robert P. Durham, Serial No. 261,492 although we do not wish to be limited thereto'inasmuch as the p'rinclple is applicable to any form of vessel.

Properly spaced between the walls of the forms there is first placed in position and arranged vertically substantially in the manner indicated inFig. 7, longitudinal reinforcing members 8, consisting of steel rods of a length somewhat greater than the length of a given section to be formed. Circular reinforcing members 9, of a like material are than temporarily secured in proper relation to the members 8. When all in place the usual concrete filling T, in plastic condition is poured around them and allowed to set, the forms 5 and 6 being lifted by means of lifti.ngjacks 10 operating upon vertical guide-rods 11, which serve as rigid supports to which the jacks are clamped with alternately acting clamps so as to climb said rods in a well known way and lift the forms. As the filling proceeds the forms are raised at a speed to allow for the proper hardening of the material, until the concrete structure is built up nearly to the top of the vertical reinforcing rods, when the forms are removed and the material allowed to thoroughly harden. Upon removal of the forms the structure will present the appearance indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 with the ends of the reinforcing rods 8 protruding therefrom. Suitable trunnion plates 12, Fig. 52, are embedded in the walls of the structure, said plates being located diametrically opposite to each other and substantially midway between the top and bottom of the wall for the reception of removable trunnions 13. A frame-like structure consisting of parallel upright posts 1%, Figs. 2 and a, connected by a rigid cross-beam 15, is built over the way 1, of such a width and height as to permit the movable platform bearing the concrete section thereon, to pass between while still in a vertical position. Then in proper place beneath the structure, the trunnions 13 are passed through bores in the posts let, and into bores in the trunnion plates 12. The structure may then be pivotally suspended with its weight resting upon the trunnions. plished by removing the blocking 2. When so removed the structure is tilted into a horizontal position as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4t, when a saddle, consisting of counterpart members 16 and 17, having meeting faces upon a laterally inclined plane, are placed beneath said structure with blocks interposed between said movable carriage and saddle. When thus supported upon the saddle the trunnions 13 are removed and the carriage is propelled upon the track into position to enable the section so constructed to be brought into alined proximity to the end of a previously constructed section, such, for example as 18, Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 6 is shown the relation which two sections would ordinarily maintain toward each other when ready to be joinechwith the reinforcing rods 8 in direct contact or overlapping proximity. so as to permit of their being electrically or otherwise welded or cementitiously united. Vhen thus positioned, the rods 8 may be welded together by means of electric or other welding processes, or they may be effectively joined by merely filling the intervening space with concrete and allowing it to harden; it being This may be accom understood that the overlap in the latter case or exposed end portions, if not overlapped, should be sufficient to insure an adequate cementitious bond. In filling the space referred to we recommend the well mown pneumatic process as affording the most satisfactory results.

In constructing any vessel we prefer that the bow and stern sections respectively should be molded in a horizontal rather than a vertical position with the reinforcing rods 8 projecting from one end as shown in the section 19, at the extreme right in Figs. 1 and 2. he intermediate sections between the bow and stern may also be molded while in horizontal positions, but we prefer to mold them vertically as described inasmuch as time, labor and expense may thereby be conserved and the character of the work improved.

lVhen the entire vessel is molded, it should be permitted to stand upon the way until the concrete becomes thoroughly hardened, when it will be ready to launch. In Figs. 1 and 3 there is shown laterally and downwardly inclined ways 20, leading into the water. The upper ends of said ways areadjacent to the horizontal tracks upon which the vessel is built and in operative alinement with the in.- clined surfaces of the saddle members 16, said members being detachably locked in a well known way to the under supporting members 17. When the saddle members 16 are released, the entire hull of the vessel is free to slide down the ways into the water in a well known manner as indicated in Fig.

e do not wish to be limited as to the speoific manner of connecting or uniting the longitudinal reinforcing rods and by the use of such words as uniting or equivalent terms in the claims, we wish to be understood as meaning any known method or process by which they may be rigidly connected, whether by metallic welding resulting through the application of heat or through the agency of plastic materials and their bonding action in conjunction with the metal.

*laving thus described our invention, we claim:-

1. In'the process of constructing reinrial to harden, moving each section to a substantially' horizontal position, assembling sald sections 111 alinement and rigldly uniting the same preparatory to launching the completed structure.

' .3. The method of constructing reinforced 'monolithic vessels from plastic material,

which consists in erecting upon a movable support combined transverse and longitudioperation to form a secondary section, moving the latter into alinement with the former to bring the protruding longitudinal reinforcing members of the two into operative proximity, rigidly uniting said juxtaposed members, filling the intervening space between said alined sections with plastic material to complete the contour, allowing the same to harden, andrepeating the several operations with successive sections until all are united to form a complete vessel hull.

4. The method of constructing reinforced monolithic vessels from plastic material, which consists 1n erecting upon a movable support combined transverse and longitudi nal metallic reinforcing members in skeleton form to constitute circumferential and longitudinal reinforcements respectively of the hull of a vessel, molding plastic material around said members so combined to form the contour of a section of said hull, portions of the ends of said longitudinal members be ing permitted to remain exposed, allowing said material to harden, repeating the several steps to form a secondary section, moving said section into alinement with the first with the exposed ends of the longitudinal reinforcing members of both in operative proximity, welding said members together, filling the intervening space'between the two sections to complete the surface contour, permitting it to harden and repeating the several steps with successive sections until the entire hull is completed.

5. In the method of constructing reinforced monolithic vessels from plastic material, erecting upon a movable support transverse and longitudinal reinforcing members to serve as circumferential and longitudinal reinforcements respectively, of a section of a vessel hull, said longitudinal reinforcing members being in upright positions, molding plastic material around said reinforcing members to conform in contour to a section of a vessel hull, permitting end portions of said longitudinal members to protrude from the plastic material, allowing said plastic material to harden, tilting said section into a substantially horizontal position, moving said section into alinement with a previously formed section having ,protruding longitudinal reinforcing members, bringing the ends of said alined meeting sections into operative proximity, rigidly uniting said meeting members, filling the intermediate space between said alined sections with plastic material to complete the inner and outer surface contours, allowing the same to harden, adding successive sections in like manner until all but one is finished and finally adding a completed end section by bringing the same into operative proximity to the end of said last section formed, rigidly uniting the protruding counterpart reinforcing members, filling the intervening space between'the two with plastic material to complete the surface contour and allowing the sameto harden.

6. The method of forming monolithic vessel hulls in sections from reinforced plastic material, which consists in placing in position metallicreinforcing members arranged to extend circumferentially and longitudinally respectively of a section to be formed,

molding plastic material around said mem- V bers to conform in contour to a predetermined section of a vessel, pe mitting end portions of said longitudinal members to protrude, allowing said material to harden, forming a secondary reinforced section in like manner, bringing said sections into alinement with the counterpart end portions of said longitudinal members in operative proximity to each other, rigidly uniting said counterpart members, filling the intervening space between said sections with plastic material to complete the surface contour and allowing the same to harden.

7 The method of forming monolithic vessel hulls in sections from reinforced plastic material, which consists in placing in position metallic reinforcing members-to extend circumferentially and longitudinally respectively of a section to be formed, said longitudinal members being placed uprightly, molding plastic material around said members to conform in contour to a given section of such vessel hull, permitting end portions of said longitudinal members tov protrude,

allowing said material to harden, placing said section so formed in a horizontal position, forming a secondary section in like manner, placing the same in a horizontal position, bringing said sections so formed into alinement with the counterpart end portions of said longitudinal members together, rigidly uniting said counterpart members, filling the intervening space between said sections with plastic material to complete the surface contour, and allowing the same to harden.

8. Inthe method of constructing reinforcedmonolithic vessels, moldingan' end section of a hull with the ends of longitudinal reinforcements protruding from the unfinished portion, molding successive de-.

tached sections of predetermined length upon a movable support mounted upon a way with the respective ends of the longitudinal reinforcing members projecting therefrom, allowing the plastic material to harden, bringing said sections into alined juxtaposition with the projecting portions of said reinforcing members in overlapping parallel relation, rigidly uniting the same, filling the intervening spaces at the meeting ends of the sections with plastic material, allowing the same to harden, and repeating the operation until all the sections are united.

9. The method of constructing reinforced monolithic vessels from plastic material which consists in erecting upon a movable support mounted upon a way metallic reinforcing members in skeleton form one set forming the girth or circumferential and the other the longitudinal. reinforcements the latter being arranged vertically, placing forms around said reinforcements of a shape to represent a predetermined cross-section of a vessel body, filling said forms with plastic material, allowing the same to harden, lifting said forms successively and adding fresh material until the section is completed and hardened, end portions of the reinforc ing members being allowed to protrude therefrom, removing said forms, tilting said section to a horizontal position, moving the same to bring theprotruding reinforcing members into registering position with those of a preceding section, likewise in a horizontal position, uniting the meeting reinforcing members to form rigid bond, filling the intervening space between the'sections with plastic material and repeating the operation until the structure is completed.

10. In the process of constructing reinforced monolithic vessel hulls from plastic material, molding a plurality of longitndi nal sections with their axes placed vertically, the molding being poured around com bined circumferential and longitudinal reinforcing members, the ends of the latter being permitted to protrude, allowing said material to harden, moving said sections into horizontal positions in axial alinement with the ends of said longitudinal members juxtaposed, rigidly connecting said members, filling the space between said sections with plastic material and allowing the same to harden.

Intestimony whereof we have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of April, 1919.

JAMES MACDONALD. ROBERT P. DURHAM.

lVitnesses DAVID H. FLETCHER, JENNIE L. FIsKn. 

